External Deburring of Welded Pipe

ABSTRACT

An external weld bead is removed and processed from a welded pipe traveling in a downstream direction. The weld bead is separated from the pipe, allowed to flow in a downstream direction, and is guided downstream and cut into chips at a location downstream of where the weld bead is separated from the pipe. Also disclosed is weld bead cutting tool including a cutting edge at an upstream end of the tool, a guide feature disposed downstream of the cutting edge and extending toward a downstream end of the tool, wherein the guide feature widens from the upstream end toward the downstream end.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/332,801 filed on Dec. 11, 2008. The disclosure of the aboveapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to material removal processessuch as planing, and more particularly to deburring a weld bead from anexternal surface of a pipe.

BACKGROUND

Various types of pipe are manufactured according to many differentprocesses. For example, oil field pipe of three to four feet in diameterand 80 to 100 feet in length is frequently welded from sheet stock in alongitudinally continuous manner according to several simultaneoussteps. The welding results in a weld bead along an external surface ofthe welded pipe that is removed to provide a smoother outer surface ofthe pipe.

A planing tool is placed in the path of travel of and in contact withthe external surface of the moving welded pipe to remove the weld beadfrom the pipe in a continuous fashion, thereby generating a hot, sharp,and stringy separated bead. In older pipe manufacturing equipment, thesestringy beads were initially manually attached to a spool, and thenautomatically wound to the spool during the welding and bead cuttingprocess. But the process had to be interrupted periodically to changespools. In more recent pipe manufacturing processes, the stringy beadsare redirected against the direction of travel of the welded pipe at anacute angle with respect to the weld bead on the pipe and fed into aseparate material handling device opposite the planing tool and thenchopped up by a rotary chopper.

SUMMARY

An exemplary implementation of a method of removing and processing anexternal weld bead from a welded pipe traveling in a downstreamdirection includes separating the weld bead from the pipe while the pipetravels in the downstream direction, and allowing the weld bead to flowin the downstream direction. The method also includes guiding the weldbead in the downstream direction, and cutting the weld bead into chipsat a location in the downstream direction of where the weld bead isseparated from the pipe.

An exemplary implementation of a weld bead cutting tool includes acutting edge at an upstream end of the tool, and a guide featuredisposed downstream of the cutting edge and extending toward adownstream end of the tool, wherein the guide feature widens from theupstream end toward the downstream end.

At least some of the objects, features and advantages that may beachieved by at least certain embodiments of this disclosure includeproviding a welded pipe deburring method and related tooling thatenables feeding a removed weld bead in a downstream direction to be cutinto pieces, wherein the tooling is of relatively simple design,economical manufacture and assembly, rugged, durable, reliable, and inservice has a long useful life.

Of course, other objects, features and advantages will be apparent inview of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. Various othermethods and tooling embodying the invention may achieve more or lessthan the noted objects, features or advantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure willbe apparent from the following detailed description of exemplaryembodiments and best mode, appended claims, and accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of an exemplary embodiment ofweld bead deburring equipment including weld bead deburring tooling;

FIG. 2 is an orthogonal, downstream directional view of the weld beaddeburring equipment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of theweld bead deburring tooling of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the weld beaddeburring tooling of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of theweld bead deburring tooling of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a cutter of the tooling ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cutter shown in FIG. 6, takenalong line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the weld beaddeburring tooling of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of weld bead deburring tooling of anotherexemplary embodiment of weld bead deburring equipment; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tooling of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Referring in more detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate amaterial removal operation including weld bead deburring equipment 10 toremove a weld bead W from an exterior of a pipe P traveling in adownstream direction. The pipe P may be manufactured in any suitablemanner by another operation (not shown) upstream of the deburringequipment 10. For example, the pipe P may be constructed from a strip ofmetal or skelp that may be unrolled from a coil of sheet metal andcurled into a cylindrical shape by bringing laterally opposed edges ofthe skelp together to form a seam, which gets welded, thereby leavingthe radially outwardly extending weld bead W. As used herein, theterminology weld bead includes that portion of a seam weld of a pipe,which is to be removed from the welded pipe.

Regardless of how the pipe P is manufactured, the weld bead W may beremoved by the deburring equipment 10 as the pipe P is fed downstreamwith respect to the equipment 10. Like the pipe P, the removed weld beadW′ also flows in a generally downstream direction. The deburringequipment 10 may include a machine base 12, a machine frame 14 coupledto the machine base 12 in any appropriate manner, a receptacle 16 toreceive pieces or chips C of the weld bead W′, and deburring tooling 18that may be coupled to the machine frame 14 in any suitable manner toremove and process the external weld bead W from the welded pipe P.Machine bases and frames are well known, and the frame 14 may bestationary or movable relative to the base 12, for example, along aslide (not shown). The receptacle 16 may be freestanding or coupled tothe base 12, and may include a chute, hopper, gondola, or any otherappropriate type of receptacle, and may be offset to one side of thepipe P.

In general, the deburring tooling 18 may include a first cutting device20 to cut the weld bead W and separate it from the pipe P to produce thecut and separated weld bead W′, a second cutting device 22 locateddownstream of the first cutting device 20 to cut the separated weld beadW′ into the chips C, and a guide 24 disposed between the first andsecond cutting devices 20, 22 to guide the separated weld bead W′downstream from the first cutting device 20 to the second cutting device22. The guide 24 may include any suitable device(s) to guide the weldbead W′ in a downstream direction. For example, the guide 24 may includeone or more rails, chutes, channels, plates, or the like (not shown).

In another example, and referring to FIG. 3 of the illustrated exemplaryembodiment, the guide 24 may be at least partially defined by a passage26 including an upstream inlet 28 to receive the weld bead W, and adownstream outlet 30 to discharge the weld bead W′ or chips C of theweld bead W′. The passage 26 may be straight, angled, curved or thelike, and may be at least partially defined by a body 32, which maysupport the first and second cutting devices 20, 22 in any appropriatemanner.

As shown in FIG. 2, the body 32 may be carried by the machine base 12 orframe 14 in any suitable manner. For example, the body 32 may be coupledto any appropriate portion of the frame 14, for example, via a secondbody 48 and a tooling actuator 50 to move the deburring tooling 18vertically with respect to the pipe P. The second body 48 may be coupledto the body 32 via, for example, guide rails (not shown) or the likethat allow the body 32 to float and thereby accommodate manufacturingvariations in the pipe P being processed. The tooling actuator 50 may becoupled to an overhead portion (not shown) of the frame 14 in anysuitable manner and may be actuated to lift the second body 48, which byvirtue of stops, catches, or the like disposed between the bodies 32,48, carries the body 32 to lift the body 32 out of its work position.The tooling actuator 50 may include a cylinder, for example, a pneumaticor hydraulic cylinder that may be supplied with pressurized fluid andcontrolled in any suitable manner. The actuator 50 may instead includean electromechanical device, for example, a solenoid, a motor, or thelike that may be supplied with electrical power and control signals andcontrolled in any appropriate manner.

Referring to FIG. 4, the body 32 generally may include an upstream end34 that may support the first cutting device 20, a downstream end 36that may support a depth setting device 38 to set a depth of cut of thefirst cutting device 20, an inboard side 40, and an outboard side 42that may include an angled surface 46, and a top 48. The outboard side42 and the top 48 may be used to support the second cutting device 22.

The first cutting device 20 may include a tool holder 52, a cutter 54,and clamps 56 to retain the cutter 54 to the tool holder 52 in anysuitable manner such as fastening via cap screws or the like. The toolholder 52 may support the cutter 54 and may include a passage 26′ thatmay align with the passage 26 in the body 32 to further define the guide24 and receive the weld bead W′ as it flows downstream through the guide24.

The holder 52 may be adjustably coupled to the upstream end 34 of thebody 32. For example, cap screws or other fasteners may extend throughslots in the holder 52 and may be fastened to the body 32 to allow theholder 52 to be adjusted side to side across the path of travel of thepipe P.

More specifically, and referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, an adjustmentapparatus 53 may be carried by the body 32 for relatively fineadjustment of the holder 52. The adjustment apparatus 53 may include ablock 55 coupled to the body 32 in any appropriate manner, for example,by fasteners. The block 55 may include an opening 57 and passages 59 inside walls 61 partially defining the opening 57. The adjustmentapparatus 53 may also include an adjustment wheel 63 disposed in theopening 57, and an adjustment shaft 65 extending through the adjustmentwheel 63 and disposed across the block 55 through the passages 59. Theadjustment shaft 65 and adjustment wheel 63 are rotatably supported onthe body 32 by the block 55. The adjustment shaft 65 includes a head 67at one end opposite the tool holder 52, and a threaded end 69 (FIG. 2)coupled to a corresponding threaded portion of the tool holder 52. Theadjustment shaft 65 also has a threaded middle portion for threadingengagement to the adjustment wheel 63, which has a correspondingthreaded passage. To adjust the holder 52, the fasteners coupling theholder 52 to the body 32 are loosened, the adjustment wheel 63 isrotated relative to the shaft 65 to advance or retract the adjustmentshaft 65, thereby pushing or pulling the holder 52 to a desiredposition, and then the fasteners are tightened to lock the holder 52 inplace.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the cutter 54 may be a planing tool or anyother suitable type of cutting tool or device appropriate to cut metaland may be composed of carbide or any other appropriate tool material.The cutter 54 may be generally of parallelogram shape in side profile.Also, the cutter 54 may include recesses 60 at opposite outboard sidesfor positive interlocking with the clamps 56 (FIG. 4), a cutting edge 62at an upstream end, and a guide feature 64 disposed downstream of thecutting edge 62 and extending toward a downstream end of the cutter 54to guide the weld bead W′ over the cutter 54. The guide feature 64 maybe of generally parabolic shape as shown in FIG. 7, or may be of anyother suitable shape, for example, that widens from the upstream endtoward the downstream end. Also, the guide feature 64 may be curved fromside-to-side in a generally transverse direction across the cutter 54 asexemplified by arrow S. As shown in FIG. 7, the guide feature 64 may begenerally straight from end-to-end in a longitudinal direction extendingfrom the upstream end cutting edge 62 to the downstream end of thecutter 54. As is also evident from FIG. 7, the cutter 54 may bereversible to provide an indexable or multiple-use tool. The cutter 54may be composed of any material appropriate for removing a weld beadfrom a pipe, for example, carbide, tool steel, or the like.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the second cutting device 22 may include areciprocating chopper as shown, or a rotary chopper, or any othersuitable cutting device. The second cutting device 22 may include guides66, a guillotine or movable cutter 68 carried by the guides 66 forreciprocating movement, an anvil or stationary cutting tool 70 (FIG. 3)carried by and coupled to the body 32 at the outlet 30 of the bodypassage 26, and an actuator 72 (FIG. 4) to reciprocate the movablecutter 68.

Referring to FIG. 3, the guides 66 may be coupled to the outboard side42 of the body 32 in any appropriate manner and, more specifically, tothe angled surface 46. The guides 66 may include any suitable linearguide members, with or without bearings.

The movable cutter 68 may be slidably carried by the guides 66 along theangled surface 46 and may include an aperture 74 through which chips Cmay pass as they are chopped from the weld bead W′. The cutter 68 mayalso include a cutting blade 76 that may be integral with the cutter 68or may be a separate cutting tool carried by the cutter 68 in anyappropriate fashion. The cutting blade 76 may include a lower cuttingedge 76 a and an upper cutting edge 76 b.

The cutting tool 70 may be a ring as shown, or any other suitablereplaceable tool member. The cutting tool 70 may have a lower cuttingedge 70 a and an upper cutting edge 70 b. The cutting tool 70 may becoupled to the body 32 by press fit, fastening by one or more separatefasteners, integral threading between the tool 70 and the body 32, or inany other appropriate manner.

Referring to FIG. 4, the actuator 72 may include a cylinder, forexample, a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder that may be supplied withpressurized fluid in any suitable manner. The actuator 72 may insteadinclude an electromechanical device, for example, a solenoid, a motor,or the like. In any case, the actuator 72 is coupled to the cutter 68via the illustrated component coupling connection or in any otherappropriate fashion, for example, by fastening, welding, clipping,and/or the like. The actuator 72 may be supported by an adapter 78 thatmay be angled consistent with the angled surface 46 of the body 32, andcoupled between the top 48 of the body 32 and the side of the actuator72 in any suitable manner, for example, by fastening, welding, or thelike. Accordingly, the adapter 78 may be defined as an extension of thebody 32.

Referring to FIG. 8, the deburring tooling 18 may also include the depthsetting device 38 coupled to the downstream end 36 of the body 32. Thedepth setting device 38 may include a yoke 80 that may be adjustablycoupled to the body 32 in any appropriate manner as explained below, anda guide roller 82 that may be rotatably carried by the yoke 80, forexample, by a shaft 84 in any suitable manner. The yoke 80 is carriedbetween flanges 33 of the body 32 at the downstream end 36 and includesan angled groove 86 at a downstream end of the yoke 80. The yoke 80 isadjustably carried between the flanges 33 and between a downstreamfacing wall 35 of the body 32 and a retainer 88 that is coupled to thebody 32. The device 38 also includes an adjustment adapter 90 having anangled tongue 92 to cooperate with the angled groove 86 of the yoke 80.The retainer 88 includes upper and lower guides 94 between which theadapter 90 is slidably disposed. The retainer 88 is coupled to theflanges 33 of the body 32 to trap the yoke 80 and the adapter 90 in anadjustable manner to the body 32.

The yoke 80 may be adjusted by an adjuster 96 coupled to the body 32.For example, the adjuster 96 may include a plate 95 coupled to one ofthe flanges 33 in any appropriate manner, and a set screw 97 threadedthrough the plate 95 and configured to extend through the respectiveflange 33 and to thread into a corresponding threaded passage 98 of theadapter 90. Rotation of the set screw 97 causes generally side-to-sidetranslation of the adapter 90, which in turn causes generally verticaltranslation of the yoke 80 and roller 82. Accordingly, the guide device38 is adjustable so as to control a depth of cut of the cutter 54 intothe weld bead W.

In operation, and referring to FIG. 3, the weld bead W is separated fromthe pipe P, for example, by the cutter 54 as the pipe P flowsdownstream. As the pipe P continues to flow downstream past the cutter54, the separated weld bead W′ is also allowed to flow downstream at anobtuse angle O over the cutter 54 and into the guide 24. The guidefeature 64 (FIG. 6) of the cutter 54 may assist with directing theseparated weld bead W′ into the guide 24.

The weld bead W′ is guided downstream, for example, through the passage26, and is cut into the chips C in a location downstream of the locationat which the weld bead W is separated from the pipe P, for example, atthe cutter 54. More specifically, the weld bead W′ may be chopped intopieces when the weld bead W′ is sheared between the lower cutting edge76 a of the cutter 68 and the lower cutting edge 70 a of the cuttingtool 70, and/or when the weld bead W′ is sheared between upper cuttingedge 76 b of the cutter 68 and the upper cutting edge 70 b of thecutting tool 70. In other words, the cutting tool 70 of the cutter 68may shear the weld bead W′ during a downstroke of the cutter 68 whereinchips C fall beneath the cutter 68 into the receptacle 16, and during anupstroke of the cutter 68 wherein chips C pass through the aperture 74of the cutter 68 and fall into the receptacle 16.

The chips C may be discharged to a side of the pipe P as shown in FIG.2. For example, the outlet 30 of the passage 26 may be laterally orradially offset with respect to the inlet 28 and/or the weld bead W.Accordingly, even though the weld bead W′ enters the passage 26substantially corresponding to a central axis A of the pipe P, theconfiguration of the passage 26 permits the chips C to exit the passage26 at a location sufficiently offset from the central axis C of the pipeP so that the chips C may fall away from the pipe P and into thereceptacle 16. In other words, the weld bead W′ enters the passage 26generally parallel to the longitudinal axis C and exits the passage 26laterally and radially offset from the entrance.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of weld beadremoval or deburring equipment 110 to remove or deburr a weld bead Wfrom a pipe P traveling in a downstream direction. This embodiment issimilar in many respects to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 8 and likenumerals between the embodiments generally designate like orcorresponding elements throughout the several views of the drawingfigures. Additionally, the descriptions of the embodiments areincorporated by reference into one another and the common subject mattergenerally may not be repeated here.

The deburring equipment 110 includes deburring tooling 118 that may becoupled to the machine base 12 or frame 14 shown in FIG. 1 in anysuitable manner to remove and process the external weld bead W from thewelded pipe P. In general, the deburring tooling 118 may include thefirst cutting device 20 to cut or separate the weld bead W from the pipeP, the second cutting 22 device located downstream of the first cuttingdevice 20 to cut the separated weld bead W′ into the chips C, and aguide 124 disposed between the first and second cutting devices 20, 22to guide the weld bead W′ downstream from the first cutting device 20 tothe second cutting device 22.

The guide 124 may be at least partially defined by a body 132, which maysupport the first and second cutting devices 20, 22 in any appropriatemanner. The body 132 generally may include an upstream end 134 that maysupport the first cutting device 20, and a downstream end 136 that maybe used to support the second cutting device 22. The body 132 may becoupled to the frame 14 (not shown) by the tooling actuator 50 to movethe rest of the deburring tooling 118 vertically with respect to thepipe P. The guide 124 may be at least partially defined by a passage 126including an upstream inlet 128 to receive the weld bead W′, and adownstream outlet 130 to discharge the weld bead W′ or chips C of theweld bead W′.

The first cutting device 20 may be similar to or identical to that ofthe first embodiment and, thus, may include the tool holder 52 coupledto the upstream end 134 of the body 132 in any suitable manner, thecutter 54, and the clamps 56 to retain the cutter 54 to the tool holder52. Accordingly, the tool holder 52 may include the passage 26′ that mayalign with the passage 126 of the body 132 to further define the guide124 and receive the weld bead W′ as it flows downstream through thepassage 126.

The second cutting device 22 may be similar to or identical to that ofthe first embodiment except that the device 22 is supported at thedownstream end 136 of the body 132. The device 22 includes thereciprocating chopper having the guides 66, the cutter 68 slidablycarried by the guides 66 for reciprocating movement, the cutting tool 70carried by and coupled to the body 132 at the outlet 130 of the passage126, and the actuator 72 to reciprocate the cutter 68. The actuator 72may be supported by an adapter plate 178 coupled to the top of the body132 in any appropriate manner.

In general, the various components of the deburring apparatuses 10, 110may be composed of any suitable material(s), for example, steel,aluminum, iron, or any other appropriate metals, and may be constructedin any suitable manner, for example, as castings, weldments, machinedcomponents, or according to any other appropriate manufacturing methods.

While the forms of the invention herein disclosed constitute presentlypreferred embodiments, many others are possible. It is not intendedherein to mention all the possible equivalent forms or ramifications ofthe invention. It is understood that the terms used herein are merelydescriptive, rather than limiting, and that various changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

1. A method of removing and processing an external weld bead from awelded pipe traveling in a downstream direction, comprising: separatingthe weld bead from the pipe while the pipe travels in the downstreamdirection; allowing the separated weld bead to flow in the downstreamdirection; guiding the separated weld bead in the downstream direction;and cutting the separated weld bead into chips at a location in thedownstream direction from where the weld bead is separated from thepipe.
 2. A pipe produced by the method set forth in claim
 1. 3. A weldbead cutting tool, comprising: a cutting edge at an upstream end of thetool; and a guide feature disposed downstream of the cutting edge andextending toward a downstream end of the tool, wherein the guide featurewidens from the upstream end toward the downstream end.
 4. The weld beadcutting tool of claim 3 wherein the guide feature is curved in atransverse direction across the tool.
 5. The weld bead cutting tool ofclaim 3 wherein the guide feature is straight in a longitudinaldirection extending generally toward the downstream end.
 6. The weldbead cutting tool of claim 3 wherein the guide feature is generally ofparabolic shape.
 7. The weld bead cutting tool of claim 3 wherein thetool is generally of parallelogram shape in side profile.